Wide array of biz owners make rounds at year’s first UpSwing Business Expo
By Beth Ewen
John Francis has just opened his 10th PostNet store, the operation that offers mail, copying and related services. He’s the PostNet area franchisee for Minnesota and Wisconsin, and he stopped by the Upsize booth at the January UpSwing Business Expo event at the Marriott City Center in Minneapolis.
Francis said he still misses the people at The Barber’s, the hair-salon operation that his family grew and sold in 1999. An annual reunion in December of former employees there drew more than 30 people, four years after the sale.
Meanwhile, Francis says PostNet is attracting “corporate refugees” who are buying franchises after layoffs. Check it out at www.postnet.com
Jeff Rabkin of Wowza stopped by the Upsize booth, too. His year-old advertising agency has just moved out of his and his wife’s house and into its first office location. Check out www.wowza.biz.
Selim Stamboulieh has started Beyond Buying, a limited liability corporation that buys gifts and other items for individuals and businesses. Check out his Web site at www.beyondbuying.com.
Many other interesting folks said hello as well, at the first of UpSwing Business Expo’s six events this year. Owner Sheila Ronning said she’s glad the holidays are over so everybody can get back to business.
Try to make it to: The next UpSwing Business Expo. Contact Sheila Ronning: 952.400.0198, ext. 1; sronning@upsiwingexpo.com; www.sharpupswing.com
Big-company HR pros teach lessons that small companies can adapt
If you think your company has benefit problems, consider the task of Mary Arnold, system director of human resources services for HealthEast Care System. Her company had 7,500 employees, six unions with 12 bargaining contracts, and a newly acquired senior care division that was targeted to lose $6 million.
The task: to create a benefits package that was consistent for all employees, but considered the realities of a new and unprofitable line of business. Arnold didn’t want the relatively low-paid nursing home workers to be priced out of health-care coverage.
“We wanted to reduce benefit costs by 25 percent in ’04,” Arnold said. “Could we do this and maintain our turnover rate?”
Arnold and two others gave benefits advice at the monthly meeting of HRP, Human Resource Professionals of Minnesota. She recommends a careful examination of current benefits and especially employee elections. “Take the time to figure out what people are electing,” she said. That way benefits that aren’t popular can be eliminated less painfully.
“Somebody said, ‘Man, you must hate your job, because look at what you’re doing to your employees,’ ” Arnold said. “I said, ‘Well, we could cut $1.5 million in costs in benefits, or cut staff and affect patient care.’ ”
Speaker Andrea Parmer, who administers benefits at an Alliant Techsystems division, said lots of notice is key to making benefit changes.
It’s important to start with an overall goal. “What is the strategy? What is the mission?” Parmer said. Her company’s was to create benefits plan that will attract and retain high-performing employees.
Try to make it to: HRP’s monthly meeting March 11, 651.917.6255; office@hrpmn.org; www.hrpmn.org; or call Roger Hokanson, an HRP director who operates Predictable-Performance Systems: 612.728.0550; roger@predictable-performance.com
CEOs gain advice from peers and a coach through TEC groups in Twin Cities
Matt Noah was checking out an informational breakfast about TEC hosted by Suzanne Kochevar, chair of a newly forming group. He is the founder of NetSuds, which is a networking group for technology executives. “It’s not beer over fiber networks, although that would be a killer app,” Noah said when introducing his company, to laughs from the crowd.
Tony Fischer of Fischer Edit was there, too. That’s a $3.5 million company that does post-production editing of ads. He said he’s looking for more heavy-duty advice for his company.
Mike Shavlik, president of Shavlik Technologies Corp., was looking for ways to build a management team that can take his company from about 60 employees to double that.
About 16 prospects in all attended Kochevar’s breakfast to learn about TEC, which has 8,000 members worldwide. There are eight TEC chairs in the Twin Cities, each with up to 16 CEOs, presidents or owners who meet one-to-one with their chair and as a group each month to solve business problems.
“As owners of a private company, the only one we’re accountable to is ourselves, and then it’s easy to wink,” said Mike Donahoe, in town from TEC’s headquarters.
For larger companies, there’s an $1,800 enrollment fee plus $925 per month. That drops to a $1,000 enrollment fee and $725 per month for smaller firms.
Kochevar, a master certified coach who has trained and motivated teams in corporate America, said she wants “courageous members” who will be honest and candid about business issues. “I’m looking for people who are a little bit dissatisfied” with the status quo, she said.
Try to make it to: An informational session with Suzanne Kochevar, TEC chair: 952.474.2462; suzanne@en-visioneering.com; www.teconline.com
Jazz and art combine for Ex Nihilo, KBEM at Gallery Grooves event
Ex Nihilo Gallery in St. Paul got a boost Jan. 15 from Gallery Grooves, a regular event sponsored by KBEM jazz radio station (88.5 FM) and The Rake magazine.
Kendra Nielsen, owner of Ex Nihilo, said the event rocked as jazz and art lovers packed the new space. “The event was beyond my wildest dreams. I honestly would have been happy with 50 people. We had over 200 people walk through our doors that night,” she said.
The radio station and the magazine promote the events, but Nielsen recommends gallery owners augment their efforts. She said Be-gan-ik Design, next door to her gallery, designed a flyer that she posted all over Minneapolis and St. Paul.
It also helps to barter with art galleries. “If we put our posters in your gallery then you can do the same at ours,” she said. “Galleries have to stick together to help promote each other’s shows.”
Try to make it to: Nielsen’s new gallery is at 308 Prince St., Ste. 230, in St. Paul, also the location of Generation Realty, a real estate brokerage: 651.291.5990. Check out Gallery Grooves at www.jazz88fm.com
